What a bottleneck is
A bottleneck is the part that sets the limit on performance. In games it is usually the graphics card, and that is fine. It becomes a problem when the processor cannot prepare frames as fast as the graphics card can draw them, because then part of what you paid for in the graphics card goes unused.
Processor limits show up most at 1080p and in fast competitive games, where frame rates are high. At 4K the graphics card does far more work per frame, so the processor matters less.
How these estimates work
Every number on this page is an estimate from a reference table, not a measurement of your PC. The table holds a typical average frame rate for each graphics chip in each game at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, at the settings shown beside the game title, with the graphics card as the limiting part.
The processor sets a ceiling. For each game we take the fastest result in the table as the most a top-tier processor can deliver, then lower that ceiling for slower processors. Games that lean heavily on the processor, such as competitive shooters, lose more than games that lean on the graphics card. The estimate is whichever is lower: what the graphics card can draw or what the processor can feed it.
Real results vary with memory speed, cooling, driver versions, game patches and the scene being played. Treat the figures as a guide to which pairings make sense, not as a promise of what your own PC will do.
Read more about how we handle data and corrections in our editorial policy.